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'It's in your heart to help others': Celebrating the volunteer spirit

Published: April 13, 2015

Ricky Ridge and other Enbridge volunteers create a ripple effect in communities

As chief of the Wortham, Texas, Volunteer Fire Department, Ricky Ridge has interviewed many a potential recruit over the years.

And as character traits go, he knows what he’s looking for.

“I make a point of asking them, ‘Why do you want to be in a volunteer fire department? At times you’ll be in harm’s way, and often times you’ll work your butt off for no pay,’ ” says Ridge.

“The answer I’m looking for is: ‘I like to help people.’ If it’s not in their heart to help others, there’s no reason for them to be doing it. This is a unique organization . . . I still think it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had in my life.”

Ridge, a senior operations technician in Enbridge’s Gas Pipelines and Processing division, has worked in pipelines for 34 years. He’s also spent 26 years as a volunteer firefighter – the past several as fire chief in Wortham, where about 20 selfless souls look after a population of about 1,600 in an 81-square-mile region of central Texas.

Ridge and the members of Wortham FD jump into action for about 150 calls a year – acting as critical first responders to medical emergencies, wildland fires, motor vehicle accidents, and structure fires, where every moment counts and lives can hang in the balance.

“This is a year-round volunteer commitment,” says Ridge. “Speaking personally, it takes up about half of my free time. To be a volunteer fire chief, you’ve really just got to look at it as a second job.”

This is National Volunteer Week in both the United States and Canada – a week set aside to celebrate the widespread ripple effect of volunteer efforts on communities across North America.

In 2014, Enbridge’s enterprise-wide VIP program awarded nearly $280,000 in grants, and saw nearly 1,000 employees devote more than 3,000 work hours and 13,000 non-work hours to non-profit organizations in their communities. Since its launch in 2010, the VIP program has engaged more than 5,000 employees, who have donated more than 12,000 work hours and 30,000 non-work hours – and provided more than $1.3-million – in communities across the U.S. and Canada.

From Ridge’s perspective, Enbridge’s culture of volunteerism – and company-wide focus on safety – combine to produce healthier, more vibrant, and more secure communities.

“I know we’ve got quite a few volunteers firefighters in the area here who work for Enbridge,” he says. “I consider myself fortunate to work for a company like Enbridge, that’s so adamant about safety. I use the same philosophy and apply it at the fire department.

“Hats off to all of those who volunteer,” he adds, “for whatever reason they choose.”

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